Gay Marriage Foe John Nienstedt Accused Of 'Inappropriate Sexual Relations' With Men

By

On Top Magazine Staff

|
July 02, 2014

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul &
Minneapolis has confirmed that it is conducting an independent
investigation into allegations against Archbishop John Nienstedt of
inappropriate sexual conduct with seminarians, priests and other men.

According to Commonweal
Magazine, the archdiocese has hired an outside law firm to
investigate “multiple allegations.”

Jennifer Haselberger, the archbishop's
former top canon lawyer, quit in protest last year.

“I believe that the investigators
have received about ten sworn statements alleging sexual impropriety
on the part of the archbishop dating from his time as a priest in the
Archdiocese of Detroit, as Bishop of New Ulm, and while coadjutor and
archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis,” Haselberger told
Commonweal.

“He also stands accused of
retaliating against those who refused his advances or otherwise
questioned his conduct,” she added.

Nienstedt denied the charges in a blog
post.

“These allegations are absolutely and
entirely false,” he
said. “The allegations do not involve minors or lay members of
the faithful, and they do not implicate any kind of illegal or
criminal behavior. The allegations involve events alleged to have
occurred at least a decade ago, before I began serving in the
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.”

Nienstedt played a key role in
Minnesota's marriage equality debate, calling such unions the Devil's
handiwork.

“Today many evil forces have set
their sights on the dissolution of marriage and the debasing of
family life,” Nienstedt wrote in an op-ed published in Legatus
Magazine. “Sodomy, abortion, contraception, pornography,
the redefinition of marriage, and the denial of objective truth are
just some of the forces threatening the stability of our
civilization. The source of these machinations is none other than
the Father of Lies. Satan knows all too well the value that the
family contributes to the fabric of a good solid society, as well as
the future of God’s work on earth.”